Mandaluyong city: The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) is fully supporting a plan to expand the number of accredited medical centers in the Philippines for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) bound for Gulf countries.
According to Philippines News Agency, a delegation from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat, along with the Gulf Health Council (GHC) and GCC embassy representatives, visited the DMW's central office in Mandaluyong City to present their proposal. The presentation included details about the Wafid Program, which outlines the accreditation process for participating health facilities, quality assurance, and implementation in 21 countries, including the Philippines.
Currently, there are 24 accredited medical centers and clinics in the country, and the GCC Council announced plans to increase this number. The Wafid Program, previously known as the Gulf Approved Medical Centers Association (GAMCA), is a digital medical screening system managed by the GHC. It regulates and standardizes mandatory pre-departure medical check-ups for individuals seeking employment or residence in the six GCC countries: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Bahrain. The program aims to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and ensure that expatriates are physically and mentally fit for relocation.
To promote transparency and minimize fraud, applicants are automatically assigned to an authorized facility based on their location, rather than selecting a specific clinic. The DMW believes that expanding the network of accredited facilities could help Filipino workers meet key requirements for overseas jobs without compromising the process's credibility.
"The initiative would help ensure accessibility for our OFW applicants while upholding quality standards, integrity, credibility, and transparency in the application and appointment system, the selection of centers and clinics, and the uniformity of fees," stated DMW Undersecretary Jainal Rasul Jr.
The DMW emphasized the importance of conducting medical examinations only at qualified and accredited health facilities, in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH). Both the DMW and the GCC delegation confirmed their commitment to protecting OFWs throughout the deployment process.
